Racial rhetoric the acknowledgment of dismal failure of Tun M

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TWICE former prime minister (PM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed abandoned Pejuang – the party he formed alongside 12 other members – to join Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) in his quest to spearhead the struggle for Malay political and economic rights.

He said that Malays might be the natives of the country but lost their economic and political rights to “foreigners” which means the non-Malays.

He went on to say that before he dies, his only priority to rectify the economic and political imbalance of the Malays.

It was in this regard that he was concerned that the new electoral delimitation exercise might not work in the favour of the Malays.

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What now for Dr M?

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad must be one of Malaysia’s most prolific political party defectors or “political frogs”.

In 2016, he quit Umno because he said that under the leadership of then prime minister Najib Razak, the party appeared to be supporting corruption.

In 2020, he was removed from Bersatu which he co-founded with Muhyiddin Yassin in 2016.

In February this year, he and 12 other members quit Pejuang, which he founded two years ago.

He has since joined Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and, for good measure, has offered to be its adviser, if needed.

Mahathir said joining Putra was in line with his political struggles, which he defined as “uniting the people, the party and the Malay organisation”.

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Tun M would be better off to leave the past behind, spend his twilight years enjoy fresh air

WITH only two years away to be known as centenarian, perhaps two-time premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would do his motherland and himself a huge favour by taking a permanent break from politics lest he is only killing his own legacy by transforming from a hero to zero.

Since accused of conspiring with the treacherous group that brought down the 22-month-old Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, the world’s oldest serving state leader (Dr Mahathir was 94 at the time of his resignation in his second stint as prime minister in February 2020) has been a pale shadow of himself, often indulging himself in issuing controversial statements that insult both his friends and foes alike.

Perhaps the time has come for him to give up active politics; rather than ‘frogging’ from Pejuang to Putra to commence a new chapter of his unending political adventure, he would do justice to his life companion of 67 years, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, by going for holidays or spend precious moments with her.

The recent rebuttal by DAP chairman and former finance minister Lim Guan Eng over claims that “DAP was unable to control him during his second stint as prime minister when PH was in power” speaks volume of his hostility and inability to detach himself from the recent past.

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Is there hope for us in Malaysia?

Our nonagenarian former prime minister strikes again.

This week he said that Malays are losing political influence and the country may become like neighbouring Singapore, with a non-Malay prime minister in charge.

He said this, after he joined Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra). In the past seven years, he has left Umno, formed Bersatu, left them, formed Pejuang, then left them too, and now joined Putra. He has taken party hopping to an artform.

Every time he speaks, it leads to a national discourse and a dissection of his intent, his historical relevance, and discussions about his place in modern Malaysia.

It is sometimes inconceivable that at a time when he should be an elder statesman working towards national unity, he continues to thrive by simply stirring the hornets’ nest, and making racially charged statements.

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Dr Mahathir-Ramasamy’s ‘battle royale’ on non-Malays lacking nationalistic qualities

FORMER prime minister (PM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed has rebutted my piece entitled “Racial Rhetoric the Acknowledgment of the failure of Dr Mahathir” which was posted a few days ago in my FB.

In his reply, point-by-point, Dr Mahathir dispels the widely held notion that he is not racist but a nationalist.

His argument at to why he refers to the non-Malays, Chinese and Indians as “foreigners” is because they hold on to their languages and culture without adhering to a Malaysian nationality identity.

He says that even if they do not accept the religion of Islam, they should accept the national system of education with Malay as the national language.

While many from foreign lands particularly from the Muslim countries have come to accept the national identity, Chinese and Indians are openly defying the acquirement of a national identity – an identity which Dr Mahathir equates to as accepting the language and culture of the natives, the Malays.

He cites the example of the vernacular schools where the majority of Chinese and Indian children attend.

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Mahathir and his myths

How can Malay dominance be under threat when all government institutions are headed by Malays? The majority of Cabinet members are Malay, the majority of parliamentarians are Malay and the overwhelming majority of policemen and soldiers are Malay. Also, about 90% of civil servants are Malay, so how can the non-Malays be a threat to the Malays? It just does not make sense to say the Malays have been left behind.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has not ceased harping on race, and in the process creating suspicion or fear in the minds of Malays that their dominance of national life is under threat.

A lesser man would likely have been probed for uttering words that could be deemed divisive in multiracial Malaysia.

On March 1, for instance, Mahathir was reported as saying that Malays no longer dominated the economy and that they were taking a back seat in politics.

“That’s why before I die, I will work for my race,” he said at a press conference to explain why he was joining the Ibrahim Ali-led Putra party. He predicted a bleak future for Malaysia if Malays were not the dominant force.

He added: “Call me racist, but Malays are now left behind after giving way to the foreigners.”

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